Lexapro Day 5 - Encouragement and positivity please :-)

[funkstarsista]

Hi, I'm new here, first time I have EVER written in a Forum.

My story is after the birth of my daughter who is now 3 y/o I started to experience severe anxiety & the odd panic attack, it's gone up and down over the past 3 years but never gone away. I have tried every natural remedy and psychological approach imaginable and they have helped, but it is still severe and is interfering with my ability to live and enjoy my life so now I am on the med merry go round ;).

I tried Zoloft generic for 5 weeks and stopped because I didn't think it was helping. Still felt anxious just going for a walk at times. My GP was cranky because I didn't wait the full 6 weeks. I'm now starting on Lexapro. My GP said start on 10mg and informed me you will definitely have more anxiety for 2 weeks!!!! (has she heard of the power of suggestion?) WORST thing to say to an anxiety sufferer. If any docs are reading this, don't set an anxiety sufferer up for fear and failure, we need encouragement & reassurance! Short term (mild, temporary) pain is worth it for long term gain and quality of life IMHO.

I started on generic loxalete on Monday, only 5mg because I was too afraid to take the whole pill (thanks for scaring the crap out of me GP). Also when I asked for valium to help me through she said NO. Come back if it get's bad she said. I said what if I can't drive?? Soooo....on day 4 I was fatigued despite good sleep, irritable and snappy, forced myself to do normal things and nothing bad happened but just felt like crap and a horrible person to be around, not liking myself much right now. Last night I had very weird dreams and kept waking up (all normal side effects).

I spoke to my best friend and told her I was on generic lexapro yesterday and she said "NOOOOO!!!!". Apparently by law they are allowed to have 15% variation in ingredients for generics (not sure if this applies to the active ingredient?). Anyhow a top paediatrician told her never use the generic and when she switched her son to generic (he has anxiety, ticks etc) He said "Mum I felt really funny when you gave me that other one" (the generic). So mad dash yesterday to the pharmacy and got myself sorted with the REAL Lexapro (only $3 more than generic) and today I have taken a WHOLE tablet (10mg). It is Day 5, not that I'm watching the clock ;)

I've heard lexy can work as quickly as a week for some lucky people, but I've only just gone to the therapeutic dose today, so I guess it will be another week :(

So now I am sitting at the computer scaring myself silly. I will keep posting and hopefully this will turn into a success story.

Please share stories, encouragement, wisdom :)

ps if you had a bad experience, I don't want to know lol

Rachel

pss my icon is a dude with shades because I wear mine indoors!

[becki]

Hi, I'm new here, first time I have EVER written in a Forum.



I spoke to my best friend and told her I was on generic lexapro yesterday and she said "NOOOOO!!!!". Apparently by law they are allowed to have 15% variation in ingredients for generics (not sure if this applies to the active ingredient?). Anyhow a top paediatrician told her never use the generic and when she switched her son to generic (he has anxiety, ticks etc) He said "Mum I felt really funny when you gave me that other one" (the generic). So mad dash yesterday to the pharmacy and got myself sorted with the REAL Lexapro (only $3 more than generic) and today I have taken a WHOLE tablet (10mg). It is Day 5, not that I'm watching the clock ;)

Rachel

pss my icon is a dude with shades because I wear mine indoors!


I'm curious now if that law is the same here in the USA as where you are. I would guess the active ingredients to be the same but I have zero experience with anxiety meds.

[funkstarsista]

Hi Becki,

I love to research so I've found a very sciency article with lots of funky graphs stating re generic drugs "Most regulators worldwide have decided that a 20% variation is generally not clinically significant".

Sorry this forum will not allow me to post a link until I have 25 posts?

As with many things I research on the net I find so much conflicting info.

With meds that work on brain chemistry I don't think 20% variation is acceptable. I'm lucky to live in Australia and have affordable meds so I do have a choice, many people don't due to cost.

[agraves911]

Hey, I take 15 mg lexapro a day and it has worked wonders. I felt better in a bout a week and a half. My mom didn't do well on the generic but I do fine on it so it really just depends on the person.

[becki]

Hey, I take 15 mg lexapro a day and it has worked wonders. I felt better in a bout a week and a half. My mom didn't do well on the generic but I do fine on it so it really just depends on the person.

Than you for telling me you are doing fine on it. I hope I do too!!

[agraves911]

No problem!

[alankay]

The generic lexapro should be fine. If the doc won't be a bit more flexible and understanding....find another. Alankay.

[funkstarsista]

Awesome agraves911 :) Lexapro can work so fast. I hope it does for me.
I think generic is fine too, there would only be the slightlest variation, but still effective.
Well I made it through Day 5 yesterday - mild dizzy/fuzzy spell was the worst thing that happened, it didn't last long.
Day 6 today...going to go pop my pill now and try and think about something else ;)

[funkstarsista]

So I went for a drive with my kids to the shops, all is well today, minimal anxiety, no dizzy/fuzziness. This is so much easier than what I was expecting! I have no headache or nausea, which I've heard are the main side effects.
It's only day 6 (4 days on 5mg, then 2days on 10mg) so I'm not feeling any positive effects yet, but no negative effects today either.
Well, I will keep posting, maybe one day soon I will get to find out what it feels like to be "normal" (as in not having anxiety for no bloody reason), it's been so long I've forgotten what it feels like!
I deserve a break, please meds work for me, me love you long time ;)

[agraves911]

Yep that's all you can do.

[eyebob]

I re started brand name lexapro about 10 days ago. I started on 5mg which did make me worse for about 3 days, i backed down for 1 day then went back up, then to 7.5 mg for a few days. Today is the first day on 10 mg. I feel a lttle better since starting it, but my mornings still completely suck.


I hope that you feel better

[becki]

Today I'll take my 3rd pill of generic lexapro. So far I'm having minor headaches but tell myself my body needs time to adjust and it could be a non related headache having nothing to do with the mds. Sometimes we look for things that aren't really there. I'm feeling more positive about my decision to start taking something.

[funkstarsista]

Day 7 - I feel GOOD still !
No insomnia / weird dreams / early waking
I've woken up feeling good about the day
Not scared of the pill anymore, looking forward to taking it
It can't be working this soon? Can it?
I need to test it by doing something that would usually make me anxious....

Becki, I had minor heaadaches too at first, they passed, see it as a sign your med is working, which is good :) How are you going today?

Eyebob, I felt better when I went up to 10mg, (I had one bad day adjusting and then it got better). How did you wake up today?

[becki]

Hey Funk,


Did you do something today that before would have made you and anxious before? You'll see you have more confidence and that it's OK to do things.

[funkstarsista]

Hey Becki,

Funk has been in a funk today, day started off nicely and then I went down into a low, very fatigued, still went out, felt relaxed while driving, which is a positive.
So I guess it hasn't really kicked in yet and I was just hoping....
How are you going?

[agraves911]

I'm happy for you guys. And funk, yeah those kinda days suck.

[becki]

Hey Becki,

Funk has been in a funk today, day started off nicely and then I went down into a low, very fatigued, still went out, felt relaxed while driving, which is a positive.
So I guess it hasn't really kicked in yet and I was just hoping....
How are you going?

Aww give it time. I read your posts and see positive things, you went out and felt relaxed. Think about what you did do rather then what you didn't do. This takes time as I'm learning.

[funkstarsista]

Thanks Becki :)
I do tend to beat myself up and focus on the negatives. Being relaxed while driving is a really good thing and progress, I even went on roads I don't usually drive on without feeling too weird which is a good thing.
Still sticking close to home though and I want to work on driving further, but I want to wait until lexapro is definitely working so I can do it without too much adrenalin pumping through my body.
How are you going Becki? Any side effects? I hope it's going smoothly - be positive and optimistic :)
R

[becki]

So far the side effects are slight headache and being tired. I did have a partial hysterectomy almost 5 weeks ago so that could be causing me being tired. I think it's also why my anxiety had increased. I'm calling my surgeon tomorrow for her opinion.

I think it's helping. Today we went to dunkin donuts for breakfast, then a museum for about an hour. After to a small zoo again a little over an hour and then to another touristy spot near our house. That's 4 places!!!! When my husband asked if I wanted to go to the last place I said in I'm tired, really I was avoiding so I said yes let's go! I had a moment or a dozen while out that I was nervous as there was a good crowd at the zoo. When we were leaving our last place there were people in front of us walking slowly, for some odd reason I just slowed down and walked at their pace rather then rush around them. That felt good.

I think from the stress of being out and doing a lot I got a headache and am tired. Even though I'm tired and my head hurts a little I consider this a good day. Maybe the meds are helping, maybe I'm gaining confidence, maybe I'm doing better with positive thinking.

At one point my daughter was busy feeding ducks for about 10 minutes. To be patient I played a mind game. Starting with the letter A I named items that you can find in the grocery store going in alphabetical order. Silly but it helped.


What time of the day do you take your medicine?

[funkstarsista]

You are going great Becki! That is an awesome day :)
I take mine in the morning first thing.
I'm feeling pretty good today, even singing in the car "this girl is on Fire!"
BUT feeling good scares me because it means if I get better I'll have to do things that have been scaring me, but maybe if I'm better I'll want to do things rather than forcing myself to do things....gee thats's some very tangled logic there ha ha
I think some wacky stuff sometimes.
Maybe I will play your alphabet game instead of thinking my unhelpful thoughts ;)

[funkstarsista]

DAY 8 - Today I drove on a road I'd never driven on before without much anxiety, this is big progress.
Nil side effects today.
Still feel slightly stiff/awkward socially/in public, not bad enough to want to leave.
Don't feel medicated, feel like me, just less anxious.
So far so good, I'd like to stamp CURED on my forehead but it's probably a bit pre-mature and I have to undo A LOT of bad habits and avoidance behaviour.
Baby steps
X
R

[becki]

Today I will take my 5th dose and I'm feeling more wired today. Not constantly but enough I'm aware of it. I'm still very early on and I think it's too soon to judge if this is working or not. Yesterday I had a great day out and about. I skipped my morning coffee and had herbal tea, took a walk and am now hanging out. I did call my surgeon to get her opinion if this surge of anxiety is hormone related. But I did have this before surgery too. I was a mess before surgery so happy that's over.

[funkstarsista]

Day 9 - 5am wake up by Miss 3 y/o
Not a happy camper - negative thoughts, low mood
Will go for a walk to snap out of mood & have a good day
OK, yesterday I said it was working, today I don't know....? I'm still a negative nelly :(
I did this with the Zoloft trial, called my sister after one week and said "it's working", called her one week later "It's not working boo hooo", one week later "It's working, it's not"...you get the picture ha ha
I need to do something really scary to test it, but I don't want to do scary things = Not working?
Positives - yesterday drank no alcohol to cope (usually drink small amounts everyday), driving was good
Maybe I am expecting perfection and that is unrealistic
Over thinking much
Be patient Funk

Hey Becki,
It can make you wired or tired ;) If wired take in the am so you can sleep at night.
My doctor warned I may have a short term increase in anxiety, so that may be what you are experiencing, it will pass :)

What surgery did you have Becki? Is that how the anxiety problem started for you?

[becki]

Hey Becki,
It can make you wired or tired ;) If wired take in the am so you can sleep at night.
My doctor warned I may have a short term increase in anxiety, so that may be what you are experiencing, it will pass :)

What surgery did you have Becki? Is that how the anxiety problem started for you?

I'm hoping it will pass the day did get better with the feeling wired. I had a partial hysterectomy. My surgeon called and doesn't think it's hormone related which I tend to agree with since I had this before. She also thinks it will be good for me to return to work which I've been thinking is needed.

[funkstarsista]

DAY 10 -
Weird dreams & broken sleep
Thirsty, going to the tiolet during the night
Headache yesterday
Feel pretty good today
Going to talk to my doctor and let her know how I am going.

Have a great day everyone.

How are you all going with your Lexapro?

X
R